Dustin Brown wasn't sure how to express himself with the celebration around him after the game. He had handed off the Stanley Cup to teammate Willie Mitchell a good 20 minutes earlier and still hadn't collected himself, stopping briefly and saying nothing and everything just the same.

What do you say after coming through in the biggest game of your life?

Brown was the guy who had essentially called upon himself for answers after the machine known as the Los Angeles Kings started coughing and sputtering on the way to the finish line. He did what the best leaders should do in that situation: He figured out a way to carry his team when it needed him most.

The Kings' captain had seven goals and was the team's heart and soul for three rounds before suddenly losing steam in the Stanley Cup final. He had only one assist to show for the best-of-seven series, a fact that had gone largely unnoticed with the Kings on the verge of sweeping the Devils.